Ahead of the general elections, the police in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh are coming together on social media for the real-time exchange of information.

The heads of the bordering districts of Delhi are tying up with their counterparts and starting a WhatsApp group to share information.

A senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said that around two weeks ago the idea was first discussed in a meeting of the top officers of Delhi police.

The officer said forming a WhatsApp group will ensure that there is no delay in exchange of information since going through the standard protocol of sending letters and alerts takes time.

The group will enable the officers to share any tip-off related to a wanted criminal or security detail by just posting it on their phone.

The national capital shares 106 border entry points with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Of this, only around 40 points have police posts, the rest remain unguarded.

Taking advantage of the porous borders across the city, most criminals enter or flee the national Capital after committing crimes.

“The district police chiefs of the three states will share information about criminals who cross over states during the elections, the smuggling of liquor or criminals who become active at the time of polls. Smuggling of liquor is a common crime during the election time. It is about using technology. The information shared is confidential too and cannot be seen by others,” said the officer.

During a recent meeting of the police chiefs of Gautam Buddha Nagar (Uttar Pradesh), Faridabad (Haryana) and Delhi police’s southern range, the deputy commissioner of police of the three districts proposed to start a WhatsApp group.

Delhi police’s Chinmoy Biswal, head of the southeast district, which shares its border with Noida and Faridabad, said they have already formed a WhatsApp group.

Within the next two weeks, Delhi police will also hold a meeting with officers from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana. During the meeting, senior police officers of the three states will chalk out a strategy to ensure that the general election in these states are held peacefully.

First Published: Mar 19, 2019 05:35 IST